THE HALF TIME CAESAREAN SECTION – My story from the Frontlines
by Dr Simon Kigondu in Kenya Medical Association‘s MEDICUS Magazine 10th Edition, Sep 2025, Theme: Stories of the Frontline Healthcare Workers.
It was a fine Saturday evening in late December 2002. I had just settled in to watch an English Premier League match between Manchester United and Arsenal. Back then, this was a must-watch game, and all eyes were glued to the screen — tense. I was hosting colleagues at my house within the hospital quarters at machakos district hospital.
Man-U’s Juan Sebastian Verón netted the first goal in the 22nd minute. It was going to be a good night; I could feel it.
At the 30-minute mark, we heard the increasingly loud siren of an ambulance. We could almost intuitively tell it was from Makueni County. It drove straight to the maternity section. Shortly after, my cell phone rang. The midwife’s voice deferred all niceties: “Doc! Placenta previa from Makueni. She is pale ++.” Her tone was calm and firm, communicating urgency without panic.
Placenta previa is a condition where the placenta lies low and can cause severe bleeding before labour starts. It can lead to maternal and foetal mortality. The standard treatment for an actively bleeding placenta previa is an emergency caesarean section.
“Prepare, and let’s meet in the theatre,” I said.
As the team in the maternity theatre set up, the first half of the ManU vs Gooners game wore on. Arsenal’s trio of Henry, Bergkamp, and Pires tried to equalize in vain.
The halftime whistle likely marked the end of the match for me.
In no time, I was in the maternity theatre. I lived in the hospital compound—a three-minute dash away. A visibly pale mother lay on the table, anaesthetized. The scrub nurse was ready and gave me a thumbs up. I scrubbed in. The priority was to stop the haemorrhage and save both mother and child—hopefully in time to catch the final minutes of the game.
At Machakos District Hospital, we had seen it all. Few doctors were working in peripheral facilities of lower Eastern Province. On weekends, many doctors would travel to the City for a breather and look for spouses. From Friday to Sunday, the doctor on call at Machakos District Hospital would be put through character development, often receiving referrals from across the Lower Eastern Province—from nearby Kangundo to as far as Kitui and Makueni. One could easily do 10 Caeseran Section a night.
As the halftime analysts dissected Arsenal’s frailties, I worked to deliver the baby as quickly as possible. The lives of both mother and child depended on it. Back then, I was extremely swift and precise in the operating room. In 15 minutes flat, the mission was accomplished. The baby was out. The mother was stitched up and receiving blood transfusions in the postoperative room. After post-graduate training in OBGY, I have yet to achieve that fete again. We had seen a few miracles before, and this was one for the list. Both mother and baby survived.
I unscrubbed, dashed back to the house, and was back on my Lazy-Boy couch by the 63rd minute of the game. My Manchester United team did not disappoint. Paul Scholes scored a second goal in the 73rd minute, sealing a 2–0 win against a full-strength Arsenal side.
Cases like this shaped my future choice of specialization. The number of obstetrics and gynaecology cases I handled as an intern and medical officer was too many to count. The shortage of doctors ensured I had plenty of practice, learning to operate with precision, pace, and efficiency.
Things have changed since then. Healthcare services have improved. More doctors are trained and deployed to counties. The centers that once referred patients to Machakos District Hospital over weekends are now large hospitals offering complex services, improving equity and access for people in those areas. And Manchester United? They have declined to the extent that Arsenal occasionally finishes above them in the league table.
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Dr Simon Kigondu is an obstetrician gynaecologist at Excella Healthcare with 25 years of experience as a medical doctor. He is also the President of Kenya Medical Association